KNOWN for its nature reserve and a whole host of beauty spots, the village of Barling is a must for anyone looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of Southend.

Situated six miles north east of the seaside town, Barling is a quiet area in the south east of the county.

The majority of the area is made up of open spaces and features the Barling Wildlife Nature Reserve, in Southend Road.

Public relationships executive Tracy Jones lives in the area and believes it’s easy to see the appeal.

She said: “My husband and I moved to Barling five years back after living in the middle of Westcliff. We discovered Barling while looking for new places to walk our cocker spaniel Flashy where he could run free.

“One day driving up Mucking Hall Road we saw a ‘for sale’ sign and looked at each other as if to say shall we? We made an offer right away that was accepted, and the rest is history.

“What we love about Barling is the peace and quiet, the amazing views with the acres of green, the community spirit of living in a village where you know all your neighbours and help each other out. But at the same time we are just ten minutes from the centre of Southend and less than an hour from London via c2c at Thorpe Bay.

“It really does offer us the best of both worlds and we feel incredibly lucky to live there.”